Freshfields, White & Case tie up Kazakhstan deal

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and White & Case have made headway for future share offerings in the Republic of Kazakhstan, advising on the $2.03bn (£1.09bn) IPO of a Kazakh oil company.

KazMunaiGas Exploration & Production (KMG), the third-largest producer of crude oil in Kazakhstan, raised around $2.03bn from an IPO that consisted of 23.1 million new shares and 3.46 million secondary shares offered in the form of global depositary receipts (GDRs), which listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE), and ordinary shares, to be traded on the Kazakhstan stock exchange.

White & Case capital markets partner Francis Fitzherbert-Brockholes led the advice to KMG, while Freshfields advised ABN Amro Rothschild and Credit Suisse as joint global coordinators and joint bookrunners, led by corporate partners Stephen Revell and Ken Martin.

Revell said: "This deal will make it easier for subsequent similar deals in Kazakhstan."

KMG's shares priced at $14.64 (£7.34) and debuted on the LSE on 4 October, the same day trading commenced on the Kazakh exchange. The IPO has given KMG a market capitalisation of approximately $6.2bn (£3.32bn).

The listing is the second-largest out of Kazakhstan following the $2.5bn (£1.34bn) IPO of copper mining giant Kazakhmys in October 2005.